Safety water-craft



L. 1. RING.

SAFETY WATER CRAFT. APPLlcATloN min Nov. 29. 1920.

Patenwd Aug. 16, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

SAFETY WATER-CRAFT Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1G, 1.921.

Application filed November 29, 1920. Serial No. 426,941.

To all 'Lv/0m t may Concerti.'

Be it known that I, Lewis J. RING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wakefield, in the county of Dixon and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Tater-Craft, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in safety water craft, and has for an object to provide a small water craft that will be for all purposes non-capsizable in rough water while at the same time allowing of the use of unusually heavy oars in order to propel the boat rapidly and effecf tively through the water.

Other objects of the invention are to pro vide an improved weight or balance for the craft which will avoid the collection of weeds or other marine growth thereon, and which is simple in construction and economical in manufacture.

IVith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invent-ion will be more particularly described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a row boat partially broken away and showing the improved safety device and oars constructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the boat; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through a portion of the safety device.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 5 designates the sides of the row boat which come together about the bow post 6 at their forward ends and are secured to the stern boards 7 at their rear ends. In the bottom 8 of the boat is made a recess 9 to receive a weight 10, which as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 is of substantially oval shape, tapering toward points at its forward and rear ends in order to cleave the water when the boat is being moved either forward or backward.

The weight 10 is carried by a post 11 slidingly mounted in a stuffing box 12 having a packing nut 13 and being mounted centrally and integrally of a plate 14 secured as by screws or other fastening means 15 to the bottom 8 of the boat. The plate covers the recess and is provided with a leak proof gasket 16 between its edges and the boat bottom to prevent the leakage of water into the boat. The post 11 is provided with a cross handle 17 adapted to be engaged by a detent 18 swingingly mounted as by means of a screw 19 upon the upper end of the standard 20 which rises from the packing nut 13.

The ends of the weight 10 are recessed as indicated at 21 and provided with pins 22 on which are swingingly mounted links 23 formed with slots 24 in which to slidingly receive pins 25 projecting from ears 26 which depend from the bottom of the plate 14. Slots 27 are made in the boat bottom at opposite ends of the recess 9 in order that they may receive the links 23 and adjacent parts.

The blades of the oars 28 are mounted on pivot pins 29 carried by suitable oar locks which are held by outriggers 30 at a considerable distance from the sides 5 of the boat whereby to yield a long swinging stroke. The oar locks 31 are swivelly mounted in the outriggers 30 and the oars are provided with handles 32 which are weighted and extend to the opposite sides of the pivot points 29 in order to assist the operator in swinging the oars and to enable him to employ oars of a heavier character than is ordinarily used which will give greater power for propelling the boat through turbulent water. The blades 28 of the oars are received in clips 33 which hold the oars outboard so as not to take up room in the boat.

In use the oars are manipulated in the usual manner, and should the boat evince any tendency to capsize or become unsteady in rough water, the weight 10 may be lowered by means of the handle 17, for instance, to the position shown in Fig. 1 where it will lower the center of gravity of the boat and also provide a space above the weight and between the boat which will be filled by the water and will therefore oppose any tendency of the boat to capsize.

The links 23 guide the movements of the weight 10 and they further project in such a way as to prevent the entangling of weeds or other marine growths by the post 11 or other adjacent parts. When the weight is in the upper position the detent may be swung as indicated in Fig. 2 so that it comes beneath the cross handle 17 and holds the weight elevated.

I do not wish to be restricted to the size, form, and proportions of the various parts, and obviously changes could be made in the construction herein described without departing from the spirit of the invention, it=y being only necessary that such changes fall Within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is: A safety Water craft having a bottoni provided with an opening therein, a plate covering the opening and providing a recess Within the opening, a Weight adapted to normally lie Within said recess flush with the bottoni of the boat, a post mounted to reciprocate suhstantialhv vertically through said plate and carrying said Weight, links. conneeted betiveensaid weight and plate and adapted to act as guards Jfor preventing Weeds from getting access to said post, a

handle on the upper end of said post, and a detent for. engaging beneath said handle Y to hold the Weight Within the recess. 

